Note: Reviews are graded from 0-5, anything higher or not showing is from our old style.
Scores, however, do not reveal the important features. The written review that accompanies the ratings
is the best source of information regarding the music on our site. Reviewing is opinionated, not a
qualitative science, so scores are personal to the reviewer and could reflect anything from being
technically brilliant to gloriously cheesy fun.

Demos and independent releases get some slack since the bands are often spent
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financial backing, so they may be judged by a heavier hand. All scores can be eventually
adjusted up or down by comparison of subsequent releases by the same band. We attempt to
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The best way to determine how much you may like certain music is to listen to it yourself.

I'll give this to Alestorm: They are what they are, they do what they do, and they're incredibly good at it. Considering there isn't a whole lot of competition on the "true Scottish pirate metal" scene (or "bacon-powered pirate core" as it's properly labeled), it's just really gosh darn helpful to know that the monopoly is dependable when you want a little mosh with your grog…or a little grog with your mosh, whichever.

"Sunset" is just good fun, pretty much from start to finish – with maybe just a little bit of off-key, under-produced vocal discomfort. "Walk the Plank" was the right tune to introduce the project as it starts off with great fanfare, then jumps right into a slam-dance (yes, I used the old original punk term from the 80's on purpose), call-back-drunken polka, which sums up exactly what you're in for. Perfect. "Wooden Leg," "Surf Squid Warfare," "Mead From Hell" all have the signature sing-a-long with the Sex Pistols on the beach as you would expect from sea shanties for stage diving. With such deep, meaningful, introspective lyrics such as, "We are here to drink your beer!" and the single epic track, "1741 (The Battle of Cartagena)," you can expect this new classic from Alestorm to soothe your aching soul after a long day in the cubicle, filling your ears with cheers and jeers, letting your mind escape into the romance of high seas, rolling the bones with Davy Jones, and…

Psht, who the hell am I kidding? It's frickin' drinking music for Metalheads. It's fun, it rocks, go buy it.